Light Beyond the Horizon

Dayo took a deep breath and strummed his guitar. His voice was soft — almost a whisper. It sent chills through his team.

Verse 1

"I've walked alone through shadows deep,

Holding the secrets I couldn't keep.

Every dream felt so far away,

But I still believed I'd see the day."

At this point, Dayo, face down, slowly lifted his eyes to the camera. His piercing blue gaze met the lens as his voice spiked up.

Pre-Chorus

"Through the silence, I heard a call,

A whisper telling me I won't fall.

Even when the night feels endlessly cold,

I know… I know…"

While singing this part, Dayo slowly stood up as his voice climbed higher, holding the last note long enough for the team to catch their breath.

Chorus

"There's a light beyond the horizon,

A dawn that's waiting for me.

No matter the storm, I'll keep on fighting,

Tomorrow's where I'm meant to be.

And I'll rise, higher than I've ever known,

Chasing dreams that call me home."

Verse 2

"I've faced the doubt, I've heard the lies,

But truth still shines in weary eyes.

Every scar is a map I've drawn,

Each one proves that I'll carry on."

Dayo's voice now carried the tone of a storyteller. His fingers danced on the guitar strings, then he paused as the beat behind the scene took over, and his eyes closed, letting the music build.

Pre-Chorus

"Through the silence, I heard a call,

A whisper telling me I won't fall.

Even when the night feels endlessly cold,

I know… I know…"

A faint falsetto adorned the "I know… I know…", a hint of vulnerability remaining amid his growing strength. Dayo poured his heart out as memories of his past life flashed through his eyes.

Chorus

"There's a light beyond the horizon,

A dawn that's waiting for me.

No matter the storm, I'll keep on fighting,

Tomorrow's where I'm meant to be.

And I'll rise, higher than I've ever known,

Chasing dreams that call me home."

Bridge

"When the world says no, I'll sing louder.

When the road feels long, I'll run faster.

Every fall is just a chance to climb,

And I know my moment's now, my time."

He sang this part with his eyes closed; anyone close could see how much emotion was being poured into it, his hands never leaving the guitar.

Chorus / Final Chorus

"There's a light beyond the horizon,

A dawn that's waiting for me.

No matter the storm, I'll keep on fighting,

Tomorrow's where I'm meant to be.

And I'll rise, higher than I've ever known,

This is my song, this is my home."

Then the drums kicked in, switching from acoustic. Dayo's voice climbed, belting with raw emotion. The team on set just stood still, unable to process how they felt.

Outro

"Light beyond… the horizon…

It was always waiting for me."

Dayo closed his eyes, his fingers still lightly touching the guitar. His tone dropped slowly until it disappeared.

"...."

"...."

"....."

Dayo opened his eyes to see his team looking at him, all with different expressions, but one thing was common — red eyes.

After a few seconds, Valery was the first to start clapping, and soon the whole room was filled with applause.

"OMG, Dayo, you have made tremendous improvements since the last time."

Wayne approached him, hugging him on the shoulder.

"And I am sure if Daren hears this version of his song, he might even sue you, cause, bro, this version I am not going to lie, slaps harder than the original."

"Haha, oh, please, Wayne David is far more talented like this, we both know that this song was one of his old songs, so that's why there's still room for improvement, unlike his songs now." Dayo smiled. The Daren he is talking about is like the Ed Shereen of his old world.

"What you just did now was absolutely amazing, Dayo. I can't stretch it enough. I feel we would win the Wildcard without much stress," Valery said, wiping her tears.

Seeing the confidence in his team, Dayo smiled.

"I hope so too."

"Okay, let me see the video before we send it."

After hours of minor editing — as the judges had mentioned, there weren't to be any major edits in the video — they sent it out.

***

Inside a building located on the 50th floor of a skyscraper.

The judges were seated around the long table, a mix of nationalities — Spanish, American, African, and a few from other corners of the world. Each had a tablet in front of them and stacks of videos waiting to be reviewed.

"Alright," said one of the African judges, leaning forward, "let's first separate the ones from our record label partners. We don't want to mix them up with the wildcards."

Heads nodded around the table. A few minutes of quiet clicks and scrolling later, nearly eight videos were marked — artists already signed to labels. Dayo's entry was one of them.

This went on without the public's knowledge, as the Global Competition couldn't do without label support. A few spots out of the initial thirty were reserved for label artists. This didn't affect the actual fan vote — it was up to the labels to push their artists to qualify.

"Okay," said a Spanish judge, adjusting her glasses, "let's just watch these eight first. Shouldn't take too long."

The reason was simple: if a video was not up to standard, it could be sent back to the label for a redo. That way, there was no issue of someone claiming a better performance than the selected artist.

The videos started playing, one after the other. Some performances were solid, some good, some forgettable, and even a few very strong ones. Then came Daya's.

From the first note, the room fell silent. The judges leaned in instinctively, drawn by the honesty and emotion of his performance.

By the time he hit the bridge, one of the English judges whispered almost to himself, "Wow… this is something else."

"Yeah, I feel without the label backing him, he would still get past this stage."

"Uhm, I agree with you," One of the judges replied as he drank a bottle

Another judge shook his head slightly, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "This competition just got very interesting," he said.

The American judge tapped on his tablet. "If these are the label signings, I think we're in for some surprises," he said, eyes still glued to the screen.

Everyone watched in silence as Dayo finished, the final note lingering even after the video ended. They exchanged glances — some wide-eyed, some smiling knowingly. It was clear: this wildcard contender was going to shake things up.

"Oh, I hope that Michael's artist is also there, Frank."

The assistant there nodded.

He made a sigh of relief as they got carried away.

"Okay, send the other videos to the review team."

Of course, the judges couldn't watch all the videos themselves. Their teams would screen them first before bringing them to the judges for the final selection.

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